


Nameless Flower

by Shizukha



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Drama, Erwin/OriginalCharacter, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Levi/OriginalCharacter, as canon as possible
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-22 13:41:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16598930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shizukha/pseuds/Shizukha
Summary: Ever since her sister's death, Lily was never allowed to forget how cruel this world truly was... Choosing to avenge her, she joins the Military leading her to blindly support the only person, she believes, can help her achieve her goals.(All right now... I'm posting this story again after going through some major changes, trying to elevate the quality of my writing and my English so I really hope you guys like it and as always, I'm open to suggestions especially if you see any grammar mistakes in my writing, English is not my first language but I'll try my best!)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! First of all, this is actually a heavily edited version of my story "Wings of Freedom" that is now deleted and wiped out of the page. Still the main idea is the same but the changes I made were just too much to edit the first story so I decided to re-post it. That being said, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Prologue**

**Year 830:**

The smell of food was in every corner of the Little house in Shiganshina. A small wooden house, with just a kitchen, three rooms and a bathroom. That was all they could afford but it also was all they needed. They were happy. The old couple was proud of how they had raised their two girls: Jaquelin and Lily Dekker.

Of course they were not the perfect marriage, but they loved each other and they loved their daughters. Jaquelin, the oldest daughter, was brave and adventurous, even a little rebel during her first years of puberty. She nearly destroyed her parents when she decided she wanted to join the military at the age of twelve, that made her mother faint and her father stopped eating for almost three days. The worst came when she turned fifteen and told her parents about joining the Scouting Legion… Fortunately, everything turned out ok… Every time Jaquelin was out of the walls her mother prayed for her to come back in one piece and it always happened… Jaquelin was healthy and her wounds were never serious. She was a beautiful twenty-year old girl, with green eyes like her mother’s and black hair.

The second daughter, Lily, was beginning to turn into a beautiful little girl. With just eleven years-old it was not difficult to see that she truly was adorable. She had beautiful black her and deep blue eyes. Her parents loved her as much as they loved her sister but, deep inside their minds, they were thankful for Lily’s calm demeanor. They couldn’t bear the idea of their youngest daughter as a soldier; besides, Jaquelin adored her little sister and she knew the dangers of going out of the walls, she did not want Lily in that kind of scenario.

That day, Evangeline Dekker was preparing dinner while looking absently through the window just as she did every time Jaquelin was out of the walls, praying for her daughter to come back to her. At the same time, she glanced over to her youngest child that was sewing a dress for her doll out of her old clothes while sitting on the table were her mother could keep an eye on her. Her husband was working, they had this little fruit stand in the market and he’d probably be home until dinner. Evangeline shook her head in order to concentrate in what she was doing… Of course she was worried about Jaquelin, but she had another daughter that needed her and couldn’t be left without unfed. So, she forced herself to put her energies into the soup she was making.

The minutes went by and the only noises she was able to hear were the ones that she herself made while cooking and her daughter’s that was probably inventing a new tune with her voice while she sewed. Suddenly, the sound of the bells reached the ears of both of them, making Lily sigh expectantly… That sound meant that Jaquelin would be visiting soon… They did not come to greet her like other soldier’s families, they waited for her to come home because they knew that comforted her… To see her mother cooking and her little sister playing… That helped her recover and made her smile for a while, at least until she was forced back into the headquarters.

It was not until two hours later when the knock on the door they expected came, when the dinner was soon to be finished. Of course that wasn’t strange, Jaquelin lost companions in every expeditions, she took her time to grieve by herself so her family wouldn’t have to see her like that… Lily didn’t even wait until her mom told her to open the door, she ran to it and didn’t realize of her mother’s intentions of stopping her… Evangeline couldn’t even talk due to that strange oppression in her chest, she seemed to be frozen.

“Sist- Oh…” the little girl had shut herself up when she realize she did not know the person in front of her. She hid behind the door immediately letting just her head come into view “Who are you?” asked Lily shaking slightly.

“Is something wrong, honey?” asked Evangeline coming next to her daughter to see the person standing in the doorway “Squad Leader Shadis… Is everything okay?” deep inside of her she knew the answer to that question…

“As leader of the squad conformed by Natasha Hanscom, Nicholas Collins, Jaquelin Dekker, Julia Covey and Byron Martin; is my duty to inform you that the soldier Jaquelin Dekker was found dead yesterday’s noon when she sacrificed herself to save Hanscom,s life… We couldn’t retrieve her body…”

Time froze in Lily’s mind… She couldn’t process the information she received. The sound of a thud made her turn her head to the place her mother had been just three seconds ago to found her kneeling in the floor while an incessant shriek could be heard all over the little wooden house… Lily didn’t have a taste of food in all what was left of the day….


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter, yep I'm posting it right after the prologue so you guys can get a clearer idea of the story and my writing style. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'll try to post the second one as soon as I can. For now, enjoy!

**Chapter one**

**Year 840:**

She opened her deep blue eyes the moment the sun shone in her face. Her head felt as if she had been beaten several times in the exact same spot. She made an inhuman effort to get out of her bed and walk to the curtains to open them. The sunlight hit her face making her eyes ache even more… She turned slowly to face her bed and the other beside it, completely untouched… They had come back from an expedition three days ago and her roommate had died in it…

When she decided to avenge Jaquelin, the Scouting Legion seemed to be the only branch in the army truly willing to do something against the titans. The first time she left the walls she was mesmerized by the beauty the world outside held but soon she realized that beauty could also be a trap, luring soldiers into titan territory, causing hundreds of deaths… She had tried to change, to grow colder, tougher so she would not get close to anyone, so there was no need to feel the pain of losing someone else… She couldn’t… Lily was Lily and not even herself could change that… Since she joined the Legion four years ago, the story was always the same… She met someone, became friends with that person and the person dies or ends up retiring just some days later. She cried for them the first days, then she tried to continue ahead keeping their memories with her but as time passed it was harder to remember every soldier who died outside the walls.

Of course, she had known interesting people… Hange Zoe, as an example… She was a little bit older that her, five years older if she had to take a guess. Hange was really an odd woman but she was really smart and strong, that made Lily want to be friends with her, she knew that Hange would have less chances of dying than other soldiers. Also, there was Erwin Smith who was, without doubt, one of the best soldiers Lily had met since she joined. He was eight years older than her but she had to admit that, even when he was just a few years away from his thirty’s, he was really good-looking. It was inevitable for her to fell sort of attracted to him when she joined but none of them was there to live their love story so they kept feelings apart.

Her life wasn’t that bad… She was still alive and she was grateful for that. She went to visit her parents as soon as she had time and they were always happy to see her alive…  Since Jaquelin died the situation hadn’t been good for the family. A part of their happiness seemed to have died with Jaquelin. The parents didn’t seem to realize that the death of the older sister also affected the younger one… Her dad, especially had become quite a loner, he kept a lot of things to himself after his daughter died and this included even leaving Lily alone until she turned twelve and decided to enlist… Her parents didn’t realized Lily was also suffering until she told them she was going to become a soldier. When she told them she was going to join the Scouting Legion they both went to the floor crying. They just didn’t want her to die…

She realized she was taking too long in her thoughts and that she was going to lose breakfast. She went to get her breakfast and sit beside Hanji who didn’t question her “I spent the whole night crying” look. The brunette tried to have a normal conversation with her friend but she knew that Lily would need some days to put herself back together.

“Oh, look who decided to show up” said Hange while Erwin and Mike sat in front of them.

“Good morning” said Erwin receiving a simple nod from Lily.

They ate their breakfast in silence except for some little conversations, always initiated by Hange. Lily forced herself to hear and try to participate but she just couldn’t.

“Eh, where are you going” asked Hange when Lily began to stand up.

“Sorry, I just need some fresh air. I’ll just go for a walk before training, see you on the grounds.” answered the blue-eyed girl while walking through the door.

“She looks really bad…” said Mike when she was out of the room.

“Well, her roommate just died, we need to give her time.” said Hange looking troubled, “She’ll be fine in a few days but… I think her kindness is going to be the death of her.”

“To be honest I thought she wouldn’t survive her first expedition. She looked so fragile that I thought she’d be an easy target…” Confessed Erwin.

“She has been in the legion three years now…” said the brunette whispering. “Not many people survive their first expedition and many of those to do decide to leave the Military in the following year. I think she has made it far due to really hard work but she is way to emotional, that could really get her killed.”

 Three years was a great number, especially for someone like Lily but it was nothing compared to her eight years in the Legion… Hell, it wasn’t even a third part of Erwin’s eleven years!

“I’m sure she’ll be able to overcome that barrier sooner than we think… Although, I’m still trying to figure out whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.” Added Mike making his two companions look down to their bowls with gloomy expressions in their faces.

When something bad happens the first time, like when someone dies, you don’t expect it… You feel bad, you cry, you scream because you probably hadn’t thought about something like that happening to you. The next times, you still feel bad but you won’t be that affected by it… It may be rude but, little by little, you will get used to see people dying… It was happening to Lily but her process was so slow she didn’t notice, but they did. Sooner or later, she would accept death as something that was always in her back, she would see death as something normal. She would leave a part of her humanity along the way… She would become a monster just as they had…

“There’s nothing we can do about it.” said Erwin “She needs to go through this if she wants to succeed. There’s no way around it and we all know that we really can’t help her through this ordeal. We all have goals, as does Lily. We can’t achieve anything without any sacrifice.”

“Erwin” called a voice from the entrance of the room “ I need you in my office right now, I want to have a word with you”

**An hour later:**

“Mike, let’s swap, you go with Hange now” said Erwin as they trained earning a silent nod from Mike who moved over to where Hange was standing. The blond assumed a defensive posture waiting for Lily to attack him.

“So, how was your chat with Shadis?” asked Lily throwing a kick to his side. He moved quickly grabbing her ankle.

“Talking while sparring? Are you sure that’s wise?” Asked Erwin in a slightly amused tone while turning her ankle, making her whole body turn. “I take it Hange told you… Well it went well, I was hoping to talk to you about it but this is not what I had in mind.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll adapt.” She said quickly pulling her ankle out of his grasp and directing another kick to his face. He managed to block it but having learned her lesson, Lily moved away from him before he could trap her again.

“I’m sure you know about Commander Ross’ plans to retire soon. Due to them, Squad Leader Shadis is going to be assuming the role.” He came closer while he said this Lily could see he was trying to surprise her, she would not let her guard down… “Well, you know how this works, he’s chosen to have someone else be a Squad Leader. He chose me.” Lily opened her eyes immeasurably surprise visible all over her face. Suddenly she felt something hit her fit and soon she was staring directly at the sky while falling backwards on the ground. “Not a very impressive defense to show your future Squad Leader.” He mocked extending his hand for her to take.

“So… You really do want me in your Squad?” said the girl taking his hand and getting up the ground as quickly as she could. “I really don’t want to be a liability, there much more skilled soldiers.”

“Lily, I’ve seen what you can do. I’m sure you’ll do a great job. But let me warn you, I’m not going to go easy on you.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, Squad Leader.” She smiled at him, saluting him before running to change partners with Mike.


	3. Chapter2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I worked really hard to bring this new chapter so I really hope you guys enjoy it. A little warning there's a bit of Angst on this one just in case you are a really sensitive person. So, let's begin!

**Chapter 2**

**Year 841:**

Time passed slowly, barely a year had passed since Erwin became her Squad Leader. Lily had always known of his capacities, but she never imagined how a great strategist he was… The number of times she and the whole squad had survived thanks to his methods was unbelievable. Little by little, Erwin became the person Lily trusted the most. That’s why she walked to his office feeling relaxed, a meeting with him was not something she was worried about specially because she was basically unable to defy him. But when she opened the door, Erwin was not the only one there, Commander Shadis stood before the desk almost penetrating her with his eyes.

Lily saluted and simply waited for her superiors to talk…

“You wanted to see me, Squad Leader?” she asked, her eyes drifting to the piece of paper her commander held in his hands. The man noticed and decided to move straight to the point, handing her the letter.

“The military police sent this, they are asking for you, they want you to transfer… Look, Dekker, I don’t care about whatever problems you may have outside of the military but if you have something to sort out with the Military Police then you should tell us know.”

“Sir, with all due respect, I really don’t know what you are talking about… I’ve never contacted with anyone from the military police I don’t know why they’d want me there. I didn’t even make it to the top ten of my promotion…” Lily said looking up from the letter, her blue eyes filled with confusion.

“Well, if that’s the case then the decision is up to you… If you want be transferred to the Military Police, that can surely be arranged they seem thrilled to have you there.” As he said this, Shadis kept his gaze on her, as if he was trying to look into her soul.

“Sir, I joined the Scouting Legion for personal reasons, I already decided that, if I’m going to die, I’d rather die out there than trapped in these walls. My thoughts have not changed, not a bit. And, to make it clear I’d gladly write my answer to them.” The confusion in her eyes was still there but now it was colliding with her determination.

“Thank you, Dekker. You can leave now, just please have the letter ready for tomorrow’s morning. Thar will be all.” She saluted one last time and made her way back to her quarters.

“Sir… There’s no way this can be coincidence.” Spoke Erwin once he was sure his subordinate was out of earshot. “Lily is a capable soldier, enough to come back alive from the expeditions, but she is nothing our of the ordinary. The fact that it’s not the first time the Military Police seeks a member of the Dekker family… It can’t be an accident.”

“Yes, we both agree on that, still she seems to know nothing about it. Anyway, she could be lying… Erwin, I want you to keep a close eye on her. She trusts you so it should be an easy task.” Ordered Shadis. Erwin simply nodded while taking another close read to the letter Lily had left on the desk.

**Two weeks later:**

Cold air brushed past his skin as he finished cleaning his stand. It was already dark and Aaron Dekker was just closing the business. His was would surely be worried, she never stopped worrying after Jaquelin died. His poor child, he could never forgive himself… Maybe if they hadn’t fought before her last expedition, she might’ve been able to concentrate and made it back alive with her family. Lily would have grown normally, found a husband and settle down… Instead of that he had to endure as her youngest daughter sought vengeance, vengeance against ruthless creatures…

He sighed as he made his way home through the lonely streets… He had never liked this part of Shiganshina but it was the only place they could afford to move into after Jaqueline died. It was difficult for all of them to abandon their old house but they just couldn’t stay there, it was just too risky… His wife and daughter nave forgave him for that, they did not understand, he did it for them, for their safety.

As he walked a noise came to his ears… He began walking a little bit faster but tried to convince himself it was just his imagination. Another sound, this time closer. This time he knew he was not mistaken, this was no product of his mind. He was not that far away from his home but he didn’t know who was making those noises, going home could put not only his life in danger but also Evangeline’s…

He was almost running now, fear creeping into his mind. He thought about making noise, get loud, try to get someone to listen to him, to get someone’s attention. He tried but no sound came out of his mouth, the noises seemed to die in his throat as his breathing got more and more labored. He was not as young as he used to be.

He began to run, choosing to take a detour instead of going home. He could never risk his wife’s live and under no circumstance was he going to risk someone finding his family’s heirlooms… No, he had already made that mistake once and he regretted it every day of his life.

He came to an abrupt stop as he saw a man directly in front of him, he could not see his face but his posture was threatening. He breathed deeply and prepared to scream for his life, but a hand pressed itself on his mouth muffling every noise he tried to make. He could feel something sharp against his throat and something he assumed was blood was now running over his skin.

“Hello there, Aaron…” Said the man in front of him. “I think you owe us some answers…” Everything turned black.

**The next morning:**

Lily was getting ready for breakfast, she was just finishing buttoning her white shirt when someone knocked on her door. There was a weird feeling on her stomach as the visitor knocked a second time.

She slowly walked to her door and took a deep breath before opening it. Her eyes were immediately met by her Commander’s gloomy eyes. The girl felt as she couldn’t breath, she couldn’t move. The only time Shadis had directed that look to her was eleven years ago, when they were told Jaquelin died…

Her eyes drifted to the spot behind the Commander where a member of the Garrison stood, his eyes filled with pity as he stared at her.

“C-commander Shadis… Is there a problem?” It seemed to take all of her strength to form that simple sentence. She saw Shadis take a deep breath and turn to look at the other solider.

“Eer, you are Aaron Dekker’s daughter, is that correct?” Lily could not even be irritated by his obvious question, she simply nodded while she tried not to let fear overcome her but she certainly felt like she was about to faint. “We… We found your dad’s body earlier this morning. He seemed to have taken a stroll late in the night and apparently there was an accident… I’m sorry.” Suddenly, everything became fuzzy, she felt numb and her body felt unnaturally heavy,

“My… My mother, is she okay?” She managed to ask. The soldier was clearly confused by her reaction.

“Y-yes! She was not with him during the accident, the neighbors said they never saw her get out of the house-“  The soldier stopped the moment he felt Shadis hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you for bringing the news, son… You can leave now.” The solider saluted and left as fast as he could leaving the Commander alone with his subordinate. “Let me offer you my condolences, I’m deeply sorry for your loss…” He looked down and Lily as she began shivering.

“I don’t understand… How did it happen? What kind of accident was it?” She asked hugging herself as her eyes filled with tears. “They were not living a problematic zone or…” She couldn’t talk anymore.

“Dekker, I’m clearly not the one you should have this conversation with… Take a week off duty, go to your mother and bury your father. Be sure to get plenty of rest this following week and get ready to be back soon.” He out his hand in Lily’s shoulder. “Gather your things, you should leave as soon as possible.” His subordinate nodded and walked to the wardrobe, pulling out a brown suitcase. The Commander took this a sign to leave the room.

He walked to his office when he heard footsteps getting closer to him.

“Commander Shadis!” said Erwin as he got to his side. “Sir, I received information about cadet Dekker’s father…” Shadis new exactly where this conversation was going.

“Yes, and so has she… She’s preparing to leave as we speak, she has the week off. I’m sure you’ll have no objection to that, Erwin.” He kept walking without looking at the Squad Leader.

“No, of course not, she should be with her mother and be aloud to mourn over her father, sir. But I can’t help but wonder, why was I not informed of this before? She’s a member of my squad after all, I should have been the one to tell her.” Erwin was firm when he spoke, his voice was cool but Shadis could tell there was a hint of anger in there.

“I guess you are right and I apologized… But in the end, I think it was for the best. She’d certainly be angry and frustrated if I had gone to tell you before telling her.” He stopped before the door of his office and turned to look at Erwin. “Well, what’s done it’s done. You should make sure to tell the rest of your squad and offer her your condolences before she leaves.” He finished talking and opened the door, soon disappearing behind him.

“So… You don’t think it was an accident, right?” Asked Hange for the third time after he explained his theory.

“Hange, I shouldn’t be telling you this but I’m only doing it because I feel like you are smart enough to decipher this… Lily and her older were both at some point requested by the Military Police, in both cases these requests were unsuccessful and now, Aaron Dekker dies in a mysterious accident that no one realized was happening…” Erwin sat with his head in his hands as Hange passed in front the his desk.

“You think the Military Police is involved…” It wasn’t a question. He looked up and Hange had stopped pacing and was staring at him.

“I can’t be sure of that but I really don’t this is all a coincidence… We told Lily about the proposition made the MP and asked her if she knew any reason for them to be targeting her… She seemed to know nothing but it really seems that she was not the only target… Her whole family appears to have problems with them.” He explained.

“Well, that’s assuming that they really had something to do wit-“ They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Said Erwin as Hange sat on the chair in front of the desk, sighing. The door opened and Lily came into de room, already out of her uniform with a case on her hands which she left aside to salute him.

“Squad Leader, I’m about to head out, I’m deeply sorry for leaving on such a short notice.” She seemed quite composed but her eyes were irritated and there were trails of tears on her cheeks.

“Don’t worry about that. Also, I’m deeply sorry for your loss, please be sure to offer my condolences to your mother.” Erwin stood up and moved closer to her to put a hand on her shoulder.

“I will, thank you for understanding.” She gave a weak smile. “Hange, I-“ Before she could finish, the brunette had already moved towards her and gave her an almost bone-crushing hug.

“You’ll be back in one piece, won’t you, Lils.” She said using the silly nickname she had given her, clearly trying to cheer her up.

“I’ll surely try…” She separated from her companion. “I’ll see you in week…” With that she left the headquarters feeling like a living dead with every step she took.

**That afternoon:**

Her mind was a mess at the moment… She was and in shock and she somehow knew she was in shock and also knew that this would not allow her to mourn properly… She was scared, she was confused, she was angry. She felt so many emotions that she thought she’d throw up as she got nearer to her parent’s house. The people around her whispered, of course they knew who she was. After all, Lily was always told she looked a lot like her father…

Every step she took felt heavier, she was dreading the mere thought of meeting her mother. When Jaquelin died, she had fallen into a deep depression but at list Lily and Aaron had been by her side… Now, Aaron was dead and Lily had duties that kept her away from home. That’s why she hated the mere thought of talking with her mother, she knew what that conversation would end like. Still, she never stopped walking, she kept going appearing as mindless as a titan after a prey, her mind elsewhere as she found herself in front of the door.

“Oh, my dear!” Her mother screamed when she saw her and ran to her trapping her in a hug. Lily returned the hug and finally felt human again as tears streamed down her face and weaving sounds came out of her mouth. “I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry…” Evangeline kept saying this as a mantra while they cried.

They had left the door opened, many passing people stopped on their tracks and stared at them but none of them realized as they cried their hearts out.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all, I would like to give a short warning there are some insinuations at the end of the chapter, is not lemon or smut, I promise that will come later xD.
> 
> Well, that was all, enjoy the chapter.

**Chapter 3**

The sun shone in Lily's face making her feel unbearably hot as she stood beside her mother watching as her father was buried. The laughter of children could be heard not very far away from where they were, it was something to expect to the beautiful day but with every laugh she felt her heart aching in her chest. Evangeline offered an apologetic smile when she looked at her. Why were they the only ones feeling miserable?

She looked to the spot beside her father's newly buried grave, to Jaquelin's grave. She felt anger built up inside her. At least they were able to truly bury Aaron… The grave beside his, was empty. Well, of course it was, there was no possible way to retrieve Jaquelin's body.

When her sister's funeral had taken place, she had been very little and very confused as to why her sister had not been in the wooden coffin when it was buried… Now she knew for a fact that most the time, the Scouting Legion could not afford to bring back the bodies of every soldier who died outside the walls. She herself had been forced to leave someone's body behind more than once. As a result, she imagined, many families had to set with and empty grave and her mother would probably have to set for that twice…

She took her mother's hand as they walked to the house, none of them dared to say anything. Lily had managed to keep herself composed but her mother's face was stained with tears as she couldn't stop her crying.

Her mother began to cook the stew that would serve them as lunch and dinner while Lily sat at the table with papers all around her. Now was not time to sulk, her mother needed her. With her father's death came another bunch of problems they had to deal with as soon as possible. She had a week to sort out as much as she could.

Suddenly a plate of stew was set in front on her as her mother picked all the papers and set them somewhere else while they ate. They were silent for a few minutes until Lily decided there was no point in denying anything.

"Mom… I've been going through some numbers and, I don't know if we'd be able to keep paying for everything…" She looked up at her mother who didn't seem surprised at all.

"Well, I had already pictured something like that would happen… It's okay, darling, I'm sure we'll manage." Her green eyes were still filled with sadness as she spoke but they were both trying to be strong at the moment. "Before I met you dad, I used to work for a seamstress, I learned a lot for her and I'm sure I can still work; after all, all of yours and Jaquelin's clothes were handmade… I'm a bit rusty but I can pull it off. Oh an you too of course, I can teach you!"

"Teach me? Mom, what are you talking about?" Lily's eyes filled with confusion as a deep worry haunted her mind.

"Well, your father and I had been talking about it for a while… You've come a long way but both me and your father thought it would be better if you came back home…" Lily let the spoon in the plate and rubbed her temples feeling a huge headache coming. "I know it wasn't your plan but… Well I want you to be here, safe, and I'm sure that's what your father wanted…"

"Mom, I'm not planning to quit, how would we pay for everything if I did? Besides, it is not that easy I made a compromise when I enlisted and I need to fulfill a certain amount of years in service, you know that." She explained trying to keep calm.

"Well you don't have to "quit", you can always transfer to the Garrison that way we can be closer, and you'd still be fulfilling your service." She knew her mother was also losing her patience.

"The Garrison has too many soldiers already, many of them even spend their days drinking because they have no job to do… The Scouting Legion, on the other hand, is always in desperate need of soldiers and even if I'm not best among them, that's were I want to be." She tried to grab her mother's hand across the table but Evangeline immediately moved it away.

"They are always in desperate need of soldiers because they can't keep anyone of them alive! And yet they have achieved nothing! Excuse if I'm wrong but I haven't heard any news of conquered territory outside the walls, none new information about those monsters, nothing!" Her mom was now screaming at her. Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to keep her anger from rising.

"Look, mom, I know how you feel and I've also felt frustrated because of the lack of improvement… But there's people there that I believe can actually achieve something. They just need to be given a chance. I know you don't see it now, but we are moving forward." She saw her mom was about to interrupt her but she kept talking anyway. "Mom, what's outside the walls, it's so beautiful there's nothing like it inside, the air is just so pure… I'm sure that's why Jaquelin wanted, I think she wanted us all to be able to see that…"

"Jaquelin is dead!" She hit the table with her hands. "And you can't tell for sure that's what she wanted but I can, she didn't want her little sister to die the way she did. She didn't want you to kill yourself!" At this point, Lily couldn't contain her anger anymore.

"What are you talking about?" she stood up, screaming back at her mother.

"Well, someone who'd willingly put themselves out there is asking to die!"

"We fight because we are tired of living like cattle inside these stupid walls. Those monsters have taken things from us we never realized we had. We've lived trapped in here for one hundred years… I don't want that anymore…" With that, she stood up without giving her mom time to retaliate.

The next two days they barely spoke, keeping their distance from each other. During the night, Lily heard her mother crying herself to sleep and a pang of guilt settled in her heart to stay.

Finally, the third day, they spoke again. Lily made it very clear she had no intention of leaving the Scouting Legion. Her mother didn't protest this time, instead she gave a large sigh and nodded her head slowly.

"I don't understand your motivation, Lily, and I don't thing I'll ever will… But if you really need to carry on with that, I won't get in your way…"

The next few days they concentrated on their financial situation. Aaron had left some savings that would help them for a year if they distributed them well. They had decided that Evangeline would try and look for a job again and if that didn't work they thought it'd be a good idea to make arrangements to move to an smaller place, sell some furniture, etc.

In the end everything went as smoothly as it could. Yes, their last fight had been hard to overcome but it was not like Lily had no expected something like that to happen. Now was her last day off and she was packing her things as she enjoyed the delicious smell that came from the kitchen.

"What's that you are making? It smells amazing!" She said trying to sneak behind her mother and have a look at the food.

"Oh, forget about it, you silly girl!" answered her mom. "Go and finish packing your things, I'll let you know when the food is ready." Lily went back to the room with a small smile on her face… She had been very doubtful about leaving her mom all by herself but now, she was sure she could manage.

At least they were able to spend their last afternoon together and make it enjoyable… Of course the Aaron's death stilled weighted heavily on their hearts but they needed to keep going… They were there, Jaquelin and Aaron were not. They seemed to have come to terms with reality and that made everything easier. Sadly, they soon had so say goodbye to each other.

Lily stood in the door with the suitcase in her hands waiting for her mother.

"Here… It is getting cold…" said Evangeline grapping a scarf around her daughter's neck. "And I made you these…" She gave her a box of sweets. "Be sure to share with your lovely roommate, would you?" Lily laughed at this, her mother had never met Nanaba in person, only knew because of her letters and still she thought she was remarkable just for being able to keep her company. "Please, promise me you'll come back…" Her eyes filled with tears and was soon enveloped in an embrace.

"You know I can't promise you that… I will do everything in power to come back to you, that is something I can promise…" She smiled kissing her mother's head, already covered in white hairs.

"Oh, Lily!" Called her mom as she was about to head out. "Your father… He wanted you to have this…" She handed her a small chest. "He had wanted to give it to you for so long… I think you should have it now." Lily eyed the chest with curiosity.

"Mom, this is locked… Didn't he show you the key?"

"He… He said you already had it." Lily shook her head. "Oh Aaron, even in death you are still infuriating!" Mocked Evangeline with a sad laugh. "That's fine darling, I'm sure once you are back you'll be able to find someone that'd help you." They hugged one last time and Lily went down her path as her mother failed miserable at containing the tears.

**That night:**

Lily finally arrived at the headquarters feeling exhausted despite her week off. She walked to her bedroom feeling her feet heavy and sighing with almost every step she took. She opened the wooden door and was unsurprised to find her roommate reading.

"Lily… Hi, I heard about your father. I'm really sorry…" Nanaba came up to her holding her by the shoulders. "How did it go?"

"You know how funerals are, Nanaba… Everything was so… I just felt so… Miserable." She sat in her bed sighing. "My mom and I fought, she wants me to quit or at least to transfer to the Garrison…"

"Uff… Did you tell her about the Military Police?" asked Nanaba sitting in her own bed, facing her.

"No! Of course not! That would have been digging my own grave!" Lily stood up and turned to her suitcase ready to unpack. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she whispered pulling the box of sweets. "Here you go, my mother sent this." She gave Nanaba the box which the blonde opened excitedly, her eyes glinting with excitement as she saw the delicious treats. "Hey, don't get to exited, those are mine too!" Warned Lily moving the wardrobe to put her clothes away and then going to the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Nanaba, her voice muffled by the food in her mouth.

"I have to report to our dear Squad Leader that I already arrived…" She said holding the door open as Nanaba stuffed another treat in her mouth. "Hey, I counted them, I'll know if eat more than the half!" With that she walked out of the room and headed to Erwin's office.

She exited the dormitories and made her way to the main part of the building. It was already pretty late but she knew Erwin was a bit of a workaholic, he'd be there for sure. Soon, she found herself in front of his door and knocked, immediately, Erwin's answer came, telling her to come in.

"Squad Leader…" She saluted him. "I just came to report to you, I'm ready to resume my duties tomorrow."

"Well I'm pleased to see that." Answered Erwin with a gentle smile. "Is everything okay?" He asked motioning for her to sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk. She sighed as she sat and put her head on her hands.

"As okay as it can be… I guess I jut, sort of came to terms with this kind of things. My father is dead, there was nothing I could do about, I have to move on…" She answered. "I was really worried about my mother, we had a huge fight the day of the funeral… She wanted to me to stay." As she explained this, Erwin looked at her apologetically. "I can't blame her, she never really understood why I did this…"

"There's many people out there who won't understand what we are doing… But I personally think we should keep fighting. It would be much easier to leave, settle down and have a normal life but I jus can't avoid thinking that this should not be normal. Living trapped inside a wall should not be common." He said lowering his gaze back to his desk were plans for a new formation sat.

"Erwin… It's getting late… Don't you think it would be better to get some rest?" She asked.

"Thank you for your concern, Lily, but I assure you I'm not quite tired yet." He smiled at her ready to continue with his job as a soft hand grabbed his wrist.

"Maybe but I think It'd do you some good to get away from work for a while… Since you became squad leader, you've worked too much, it can't be healthy for you, you need to relax and vent from time to time…" Erwin was about to protest when Lily spoke once again. "Plus… I also need to relax, I really want to get my mind off somethings and I would could use some company to do it." Her eyes pleaded him to say yes.

"Fine… Just for this time and make sure this doesn't become habitual… The dining room should be empty by now, you should go get Hange and Nanaba. I'll meet you there in ten minutes." He stood up and opened the door for her. Lily could not believe it, she was not sure that it would work… Well, she wasn't complaining either…

* * *

Hange sat with Lily on one of the tables as they drank the wine Erwin had brought, the brunette was currently explaining one of her many plans to capture a titan which would probably never be approved. Lily was beginning to feel sleepy, thanks to the alcohol. Her eyes caught some kind of movement to her right and she immediately turned to see what it was. She could only see Erwin talking to Mike some meters away from her.

"Hey, Lils, you listening?" Hange called her attention, her cheeks were red thanks to the wine and she was having some trouble with her words. "You know, I could keep quiet so you can keep on drooling over our Squad Leader…"

"Who's drooling over who?" asked Nanaba who had just arrived from the restroom.

"Well, our little Lily here just can't stop staring at our dear Squad Leader…" Hange explained making Lily roll her eyes. "It seems to me like we have some kind of crush going on here…" Nanaba laughed way loudly than normal.

"It is nothing like that, Hange, I promise…" Lily said her thoughts drifting immediately somewhere else. Yep, it was nothing like  _that_ but she certainly wouldn't mind… I hit on her shoulder made her return to reality and she realized she was staring again. This time, both her friends exploded with laughter making Lily blush even more. "Hey it's not fair! I'm not saying anything about Mike or Commander Shadis…" This time she received a push from Hange that made her drop her wine into her shirt.

"Ups, sorry Lils… Although it was kind of your own fault for mentioning…" Lily shut Hange up.

"It's not like I started it!" she said laughing as she stood up. "I better and try to wash this up. Be right back!"

She tried to get to the closest restroom think maybe she wouldn't be right back after all… She could barely walk! She got to the bathroom and wet a tissue with water beginning to rub the stain. How stupid could she be? She thought. It was wine! It would not come out easily. Lily gave a sigh as she exited the bathroom immediately hitting a wall she could not remember was there, a quite comfortable wall.

"Are you okay?" Since when did the walls talk… Her eyes drifted upwards to see it was Erwin she had hit.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't see you there…" She tried to out some distance between the two of them but instantly lost her balance leaving Erwin to catch her once again before she hit the floor. "Thanks… Err, I think I'm going to head to my room now… Maybe it was too much distraction for me…" She tried to leave but was once again stopped, this time, Erwin had grabbed her wrists.

"I'll go with you. In your current state, you can easily fall and sustain an unnecessary injury… As your Squad Leader, I wouldn't be too pleased if you got hurt just after a week off." Lily was about to protest but Erwin was already guiding her through the corridors.

"Wait, Erwin, stop!" said Lily filling the world around her was spinning. "I'm sorry… I'm dizzy, could we just stop for a minute?" She asked leaning on one of the walls. "Gosh! I'm really not used to drink that much."

"Well it has been barely a year since you became legally an adult. Besides, Hange was not precisely trying to control you; in fact, she was doing otherwise…" Lily only had energy to give him a question look. "She kept filling your drink while you were distracted."

"Aargh! I swear that if I'm hangover tomorrow, I'm going to kill her!" Erwin chuckled at her comment. Making her turn to look at him with a level of concentration she never knew she was capable off while drunk.

"Common, we are not that far." Said Erwin trying to drag Lily with him.

"Wait! I… Is just I really don't want to be alone." She explained lowering her gaze to her shoes.

"I'm sure Nanaba will join you shortly, but right now you need to get in bed."

"Mike is there too, we both know she's not going to join me tonight…" Her crossed over her chest. "Please…" she practically begged moving dangerously close to him.

"Lily, you don't know what you are doing… You really need to get some rest." He tried to put some distance between them but failed miserably as she followed him swiftly. He had always thought Lily was a beautiful woman but he never voiced said thoughts. As she got closer and closer he noticed her appearance was not the only thing he felt drawn to, her fragrance, it was fresh and a little bit fruity. Clearly, the alcohol in his system was not making things easier for him. He managed to collect himself before giving into temptation. "Okay, seriously, Lily. You are drunk."

"I don't think I'm that drunk, sir… Besides, I think I'm old enough to decide what do I want, don't you think?" Erwin suddenly felt her grab his shirt and pull him down. Seconds later their lips had locked together and that was all he needed to let go.

He grabbed her waist and the hand that had pulled his shirt was now on his shoulder. They were both trying to get closer to the other.

Lily was about to attribute the feeling of being carried away to the alcohol but as she found herself in a room that wasn't hers, she realized it was Erwin who had carried her all the way to his room.

As her back hit the bed, she thought that she could be making a mistake… Such thoughts could never be voiced because, two seconds later. Erwin's trail of kisses on her neck robbed her completely of her sanity.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, first of all, hello guys. How are you doing? I've been a little busy so writing is taking me longer than I thought it would but I'm doing everything I can to bring this chapter as soon as I can. As always, constructive criticism and advise is always welcome. I hope you guys enjoy it!

**Chapter 4**

**Year 843:**

Lily sat in front of the mirror as she pulled her hair in a pony tail, it had grown longer during this last two years, but she didn't want to cut it, she was kind of attached to it. A knock on the door distracted her and she quickly moved towards it to open it.

"Erwin… Is there something wrong?" She asked at the sight of her Squad Leader, glancing behind him, she noticed Mike standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Nothing to worry about, except, I want you and Hange to be in charge of this week's training while Mike and I go to run some errands. Of course, I'll expect a detailed inform on the results." Lily could feel the curious look of both of her roommates in her back.

"Sure… Any requests?" she continued trying to ignore the other two people in the room.

"I was thinking hand to hand combat needs to be reviewed once again, if after that you still have time to do some exercises with the gear, please do so." His eyes darted up finally noticing the other two women. "Can you step out for a second?" He whispered. Lily simply nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her with a relieved sigh.

"So, what kind of errands?" She asked. After years of working together, she knew Erwin could be reckless when he was set on an idea.

"Mitras… We are going to present the new formation to Supreme Commander Zackly." He answered.

"Well, that's good… I wish you luck, Squad Leader. Are there any other orders you have for me?" She asked with a small smile. Erwin had been working on that formation for months and when Commander Shadis gave his approval, it was easy to see all those hours of work had paid off.

"No, that would be all for now. Also, don't let Hange get too carried away, you know how difficult she is when she gets excited." He padded Lily on the shoulder and gave his goodbyes, Mike following closely behind him.

Lily gave a sigh and entered the room once again only to find Nanaba, Nifa and Hange watching the door like hawks.

"Wait… How did you even get in here?" She gestured to Hange who simply pointed to the open window. "Are you serious?"

"Well, Erwin went to talk to me and then he said he'd come to talk to you and I really wanted to hear… So I went out and hid under the window but then he asked you to step out so I let myself in!" She explained as if it was nothing.

"Hange… I told you to give it up, it's nothing like that! Seriously!" She said exasperated. "You should go have breakfast, we'll meet in the training fields in an hour." She said getting out of the room already in a bad mood… She considered Hange a friend but, sometimes, she simply decided to ignore crucial points of certain situations… Like hers! Lily had told her to forget about it countless times and still, two years later, she kept pushing it…

**Flash Back:**

" _Hange… Can we talk for a second? I think I need your help." She asked to the brunette who was writing notes on one of her many notebooks._

" _Sure… What do you need?" She turned around to face her, her eyes immediately getting bigger at the sight of something. "Lily… Is that a hickey?" She asked pointing to Lily's neck. Damn it! She thought she had covered well with her hair. Well there was no point in hiding it now, was it?_

" _Yes… That's why I need to talk to you. I could really use some advice…" She waited for Hange to answer but this never came so she kept on talking. "Okay… So, I might have had sex with a guy and now I really don't know what to do about it…"_

" _Okay, I'm going to need more than that if you want my help and… What do you mean you "might have"? Did you or did you not have sex with that guy?" She asked watching Lily flinch as her voice got louder._

" _Fine, can you just keep it quiet? Please!" she begged, Hange simply nodded and motioned for her to continue. "Okay, yesterday I got really drunk. I tried to get to room and then this guy appeared and, well I don't really remember lots of it but the next thing I can recall is he dropping me on his bed."_

" _First of all… Do you really think you had sex? I mean, it's not uncommon to get into someone else's bed while drunk but still don't "do it"." Hange asked triend to keep calm before the revelations Lily was making to her._

" _Yes, I'm pretty sure we did. I woke up naked and I'm still… sore…" She said directing her eyes elsewhere._

" _Well, that being said let's move on to the guy…" She saw her companion tense at the words. "Do you remember who it was?" Lily tensed even more but nodded her head, Hange thought she'd leave that for later. "Did you two talk about it?"_

" _Yes… A little bit but, we actually agreed that. It shouldn't really have happened, that it was a bit hasty and that it would be better for the both of us to keep things as they were before." She said this while crossing her arms over her chest, almost like hugging herself._

" _Do you… Are you interested in pursuing something else with this guy? A relationship of sorts?" She asked watching Lily drop her arms and give a lar sigh._

" _I don't know! He is a great guy but we already agreed on something… I just can't go to him and say I changed my mind. Besides, before all of this happened I had already decided that I didn't want to involve myself with someone else, I don't want any distractions and I'm sure he doesn't either." She said being as honest as she could, still trying to reveal nothing about the guy._

" _I'm sure you've been dreading this question this whole time but I need to know, and I think you need to say it out loud… Who are we talking about?" Her eyes were cold as ice, she had seen Hange with that look in her eyes just a few times. It was scary, it was the look she had when she meant all business. That really made her nervous, but she also knew her friend was right so the only thing she could do, was take a deep breath._

" _Erwin… I slept with Erwin last night…" She finished without daring to look at her friend who had gone speechless with the last sentence. After almost five minutes of silence, the situation had become too much for Lily to handle. "Hange… Can you please say something?" she asked almost pleadingly._

" _Sorry, it's just… Erwin?" Lily nodded while Hange began pacing in front of her. "I can't believe it! I mean, Nanaba and I teased you about it, but I never thought you'd actually go for it!" Hange kept pacing while muttering under her breath what seemed to be a summarized version of the conversation they just had. "So, you both agreed that it shouldn't have happened and that things should stay the same… Do you realize how hard that could be? Well, I don't know for him but for you… Lily, you slept with your superior…"_

" _I know but it's not like I want to get something else from that! I'll be more than happy to make as if nothing happened between us but I'm really confused… I mean, it was my first time after all…"_

" _What?" Asked Hange. "It was your first time… Did Erwin know about that?"_

" _I'm not sure… We were both drunk, so I don't know if he noticed. Besides, he did not mention it this morning." She shrugged. "Look, I'm not too worried about that part. It's just… I kind of wanted my first time to be special… I don't blame him for any of what happened but I just feel so stupid…"_

" _Look, Lily, you're not the first person to go through something like this… And I assure you, you will not be the last one… You are going through a really hard time right now, It's not uncommon for you to seek some kind of comfort in this situation and Erwin was there last night to provide said comfort. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it as long as it doesn't affect your superior-subordinate relationship. You'd be surprised by the amount of times something like this happens. I mean, just look at Mike and Nanaba!"_

" _But they actually feel something for each other…"_

" _Yes, right now they do. But they used to seek each other after every expedition for comfort… Sometimes you just need someone there to hold you…" She put a hand on Lily's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it… I'm sure everything will fall into place once again, you just need to let the time work and soon things will be back to normal."_

_Lily would always thank Hange for this… Just two weeks after the ordeal, everything was normal once again and she could finally breath relieved._

**That afternoon:**

Lily felt in a significant better mood after training. She went to her room to grab her towel and some other things before taking a shower. She opened the wardrobe to remember that she had washed her towels yesterday, they should be drying at the moment. She was about to close the door when something caught her attention. It was and old box in which she stored objects that brought her memories.

She took the box out and sat on the bed. It was covered in dust, she hadn't taken it out in years. She opened it and the first thing that caught her attention was and old letter. It was a letter Jaquelin had sent when she couldn't get home for her birthday. There was also a doll, very old and almost falling to pieces. Most of those things were useless but still brought a smile to her face. Suddenly, something caught her eye; it was and old bracelet, her father had given it to her when she turned eleven. Soon she had grown and she had to stop wearing it, it didn't fit on her wrist anymore. She grabbed it admiring the single charm it had, she suddenly realized that the charm looked like a small key.

Lily got up from the bed and practically launched herself against her desk over which the chest her mom had given her two years ago still rested. She had not been able to open it but she forgot about it. She grabbed it taking a deep breath before trying the key, her heart stopped for a second when the key fit perfectly. She closed her eyes and turned it just to open them again as she heard a click sound.

To say she was disappointed was an understatement… Inside the chest, there just a bunch of unorganized notes. They were all messy and difficult to read. She grabbed one randomly and tried to read it, this proved to be a greater effort than she thought it'd be but she was finally able to make out a few words.

" _Why are we here? Inside these walls, we serve no purpose to them. In the end, we are just vessels, waiting to be used."_

That was all she could read at the moment, the rest of the page was way to damaged. She out everything back in the chest carefully.

She decided to go fetch her towel and finally take a shower when she suddenly felt a great pang of curiosity in her chest. She immediately sat on her desk and took the chest in her hands once again. She saw that some of the notes had dates written in it and the calligraphy varied between notes. She finally took a deep breath and decided to begin organizing them. The sooner she discovered what that was all about, the sooner she'll be free from her curiosity.

**Five days later:**

"Mike, you are back already… How did it go? Did the new formation went through?" She asked when she came upon Mike in the hallways, he had just arrived.

"Yes… The situation is a bit more complicated than that, but you could say so." He said handing her a piece of paper. "Erwin is requesting you to go to Mitras, there's something we need to take care of in the Underground. All important information is in those documents." He explained while Lily gave them a quick read. "I suggest you get ready, we need to get to Sina as soon as possible." With this, he turned and left before she could ask any questions.

She had no time nor the position to question Erwins methods but bring criminals from the Underground… That seemed like too much of a risk to take. She went to her room to get her things ready.

"Hey! You two?" asked Nifa who was also getting everything ready to go. "Marcus is coming too."

"Did you read the documents?" She asked as she began gathering her things. "I know Erwin can be reckless but I never thought he'd do something like this." Suddenly, she felt a book hit the back of her head.

"You really shouldn't doubt your Squad Leader, Lily! That can get you in serious trouble." Said Nifa frowning. Lily managed to stiff a laugh. Even if Nifa was the youngest of her friends, she had a motherly attitude towards them that she found way too cute.

"Believe me, over the years I've found that trusting him is the best way to get around, must of his strategies have kept us alive countless times… Still, alive doesn't mean precisely uninjured. I've noticed that when something backfires is because Erwin decides to bet and even then things tend to work out for the best! Don't worry, Nifa, I know better than to doubt the man I owe my life to." Said Lily as they both exited the room together.

The road to Mitras was a long one… They left the headquarters early in the morning and were barely arriving in the afternoon. Lily and Nifa had found nothing else to do except falling asleep on each other's shoulders. That at least, kept them busy until they reached the place.

When they got out of the carriage, they were met by Commander Shadis and Squad Leader Erwin. They all saluted and immediately moved to meeting room.

"The criminals we are trying to recruit have achieved three dimensional maneuver gears, we don't know how but they have learned to use them very well, I've seen them myself. They don't even try to hide because members from the Military Police almost never enter de city so it won't be hard to recognize them." Explained Erwin. "We don't know where they hide out is, but there are some places they tend to visit." He signaled a map in the center of the table in which those places had been marked.

"Squad Leader, I assume they will not come peacefully. What's the plan?" asked Nifa.

"Well, we are talking about three criminals. Two of them seem to know how to control themselves, but the other one, the girl, she seems the get carried away easily. Lily, Nifa you're both pretty fast, a short persecution will tire and frustrate her, after that, she'll be easier to captured." They both nodded, accepting his orders. "The other guy, the blond he is highly skilled but I'm sure Marcus can overtake him easily. The leader, on the other hand, has obtained a level of skill that even some trainees can't obtain. Mike and I will take him down. All of you need to make sure to capture them as fast as possible, don't let them get too far for each other. Understood?" He asked looking at the people around the table.

"Yes sir!" was the answer he got from his subordinates.

"Perfect. Go and get some rest. Tomorrow in the morning, we mobilize to the Underground City and carry on with the plan. You are all dismissed." All four of them saluted and left the room quietly. They did just as they were told and went to rest, the mission they had ahead of them seemed to be a complicated one…

**The next day:**

"Are you sure this is the place?" Asked Lily looking at her surroundings. Everything was considerably darker than on the surface, the air felt heavier.

"Yes, this is a common route for the merchants to use. Our subjects tend to target merchants. The probabilities of them appearing here is higher than in any other place of the underground." Answered Erwin.

They were currently waiting in one of the many alleys of the Underground, covering their faces and their gears so they wouldn't get too much attention. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard and screams calling for the Military Police followed soon after.

"That's the sign… You know the plan, make sure they don't go to far. Now!" Ordered Erwin and they all set off using their gears. They soon spotted three people with gears in front of them, that was it.

They kept moving in the same direction for almost some meters until the criminals changed their course drastically and began moving in the opposite direction. For the Military Police soldiers that accompanied them, it was impossible to follow. But for the rest of them was easier to adapt. Suddenly the two on the sides took other directions.

"Nifa!" Called Lily who had quickly began to follow a flash of red hair.

The girl made a few sharp turns in order to confuse them but they always seemed to be a step ahead. She screamed something they couldn't understand and entered a building through the window.

"You go after, I'll go above and meet you at the end." Said Nifa moving to the top of the building. Lily entered the same window catching sight of the redhead quite quickly.

They were running through the seemingly abandoned building and Lily was closing up on her, she could even hear the girls agitated breaths. They soon made it to the other side of the building were the girls tried to get out through other window but was soon retained by Lily who grabbed her from and behind and Nifa who quickly took the operating device out of her hands.

They landed safely on the ground and the girl tried to brake herself free once her feet had touched the ground. Lily reacted faster and pushed her against the wall, grabbing her wrists and putting a pair of cuffs on them.

"Take of her gear, quickly!" She said to Nifa who immediately began undoing the binds that kept the gear firm on the body.

Nifa worked quickly as Lily neutralized every single movement the girl tried to do.

"That's it… I'll take this with me, we must get to the Squad Leader, now." Lily nodded an put the girl's hand behind her back. She immediately fought against it.

"I'd come quietly if I were you… You don't know how your friends are doing." Said Lily tightening her grip on the girl's arms.

"Hah! As if you guys could ever catch them! We are better than any soldier with those gears!"

"Well, we captured you, didn't we? Besides, we are not any soldiers…" She said while they quickly followed the road they had seen Erwin and Mike take.

They were soon joined by Marcus who had a tight grip on the blond man. He didn't seem to be given as much of a fight as he female friend. They soon arrived at other alleyway just in time to she the leader of the gang attack Erwin with a knife and being barely stopped by Mike.

"Squad Leader! Are you all right!" Screamed Nifa. The gang leader turned to look at them, his eyes softening in a matter of seconds. He finally let go of the knife he had been holding, he finally gave up thanks to the sight of his friends already captured.

"You are quick at reading the situation." Said Erwin with a little smile on his face. "Mike, put the cuffs on him. Marcus you begin taking off his gear." He ordered. Soon, all three criminals were kneeling in front of them. "I'd like you to answer a few questions." Said the blond man with a calm and authoritarian voice. "Were did you get these?" He asked motioning to the gears. No answer was heard. "You displayed exceptional skill in using the 3DMG. Who taught you how to use it?" Still, there was no answer coming from them. "You are the leader, right?" He asked to the short man in the middle. "Do you have any military training?" The only answer he got this time, was a gaze filled with hate. "How do I kill this guy and make a run for it… It's written all over your face." He turned to look at Mike. "I was hoping to avoid using violence but…"

In one swift movement, Mike had grabbed the man's head and slammed it against the mud and sewer water on the ground. Lily turned to look anywhere else. She was used to fighting titans, but she had never fought against other humans, unless you count training, that is. The look of the raven-haired man's face was now one of pure rage.

"Let me ask you one more time… Where did you learn to use the 3DMG?" He kept asking, his eyes as cold as ice.

"No one taught us, all right?!" Screamed the only girl in the group. "So get off your high horse already, you fucking civil servant!" Erwin's gaze turned to one of curiosity, unmoved by the girl's insult.

"We learned in order to survive in this dump." Clarified the blond guy. "Guys like you who don't even know the taste of sewer water would never understand!" Erwin once again choose to ignore the unnecessary comment and got closer to the leader.

"My name is Erwin Smith… Your name is?" Mike took his face out of the mud so he could answer. He didn't, he just kept glaring at him. "You've got spirit but… If you keep this up, your friends will be the ones to pay the price." The man turned to look at his friends, Marcus had already grabbed the guy and was ready to push him in the puddle as well.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Just do it already!" Called the girl glaring at Lily. She felt Erwin's penetrating gaze on her so she opened her hand, which she hadn't realized had become a fist, and grabbed the girl's head, threatening to push her too.

"You bastard…" Muttered the man under his breath.

"Your name?" Asked the Squad Leader once again choosing to ignore him.

"It's Levi…" He gave the answer through gritted teeth.

"Levi… Why don't we make a deal?" Asked Erwin kneeling in front of him. Levi's eyes were now both curious and slightly surprised. "None of you will be charged with anything. In exchange, lend us your power. Enlist in the survey corps."

"And if I refuse?" Levi's voice had penetrated the tense silence that had formed.

"We'll hand you over to the Military Police." He answered. "Think of all the crimed you've committed up until now. Your friends will also desire the same treatment, am I correct?" He let the proposal sink in for a few seconds. "The choice is yours…"

"All right… I'll join the survey corps."


End file.
